Gear Review: Crescent Moon Gold 10/Gold 13 Snowshoes

The Crescent snowshoe bindings expand and contract to fit virtually any boot type or size.

Not only do Crescent’s bindings expand and contract to fit virtually any boot type or size (from women’s size 6 light hikers to men’s size 15 pac boots), they tighten easily with one hand, and they lock your foot securely onto the center of the shoe and keep it there no matter the slope angle or snow conditions.

After a traverse of the Copper Spur area of Mt. Hood, one tester said, “Given my size (225 pounds, size 13 boots), I frequently experience heel slips and twisting when on a traverse. Not this time.” The bindings also proved to be the simplest to adjust. A single pull on the U-shaped, nylon webbing strap tightens both forefoot and arch straps. The heel strap secures via a ratcheting buckle we could operate even with bulky gloves. Testers said the tapered, teardrop tail allows for the most natural gait of any of the test shoes, especially on rolling terrain and soft to slightly compacted snow, with very little risk of deck walking—that is, stepping one snowshoe onto the deck of the other. “The stability of the binding on the traverses saved my ankles—and maybe my neck,” says one Oregon tester. “And the ability to stride naturally up and down the forest trails saved my legs.”